Silent Running
by TinyDancer365
Summary: With London in the clutches of Grand Master Crawford Starrick, Henry Green and his friend Adelaide reach out to the Brotherhood one more time in an effort to receive aide, but they hardly know that help is on the way in the form of the unstoppable Frye Twins
1. Can You Hear Me?

**Silent Running**

**Chapter 1:** Can You Hear Me?

**AN:** So, this Assassin's Creed Syndicate fic has been in fractured pieces within my mind for a while now. Please let me know if you'd like to see this continued. It will of course feature our favorite reckless, yet charming Frye twin.

* * *

The bell above the door of Henry Green's _Curio Shop_ gave a soft trill as a womanly figure stepped over the threshold. The door closed shut behind her and the swishing of her gown barely made Henry look up from the letter he was penning to the Brotherhood. Three times he'd written them — yet he was met with silence all three times. Henry was growing restless; impatient with Brother George's negligence, but he promised himself that he would not stop reaching out for aide. London had fallen into the hands of Grand Master Crawford Starrick. His grim touch constricted around every industry and his poison left no borough untouched. The assassin was now fearing the Starrick would turn his attention overseas to extend his reach to countries and continents which would fall just as easily as London did. Why had the Brotherhood remained silent? How could they stand by and watch as London fell further and further into disarray?

"Finished yet?"

Henry was shaken from his letter to meet the sound of the woman who stood across the counter from him. She was dressed in a typical gown women wore of the era, but in her right hand she clutched the glistening ferrule of a cane. She was careful to rest it against the counter since it was a gift from the man across from her. A fashion statement on the exterior, however ever since London had become quite the cesspool, this accessory had a dual purpose. Henry's gaze met her just as she removed the large hat that was perched upon her head to rest beside the letter. Deep brown curls were pressed against the crown of her head, each one sitting atop the other neatly to build on the one below it. It was quite comical to Henry how she always managed to fit her long voluminous curls under her hats. _A magic trick_ — he'd call it; accusing her hat of being able to perform optical illusions. Each time she would chuckle, but today Henry did not have that twinkle in his eye like when a joke was on his lips. Today, he looked sad.

"May I?" The woman gestured for the letter. Henry finished scrawling down his final thought and gently placed the letter within her dainty fingers. He watched her eyes trace the words he'd carefully strung together to form his plea. He had hoped this time Brother George would be inclined to send aide.

When she finished, she gave Henry a warm smile and handed the letter back to him. "This is very good. You have a talent with words, Mr. Green."

"After receiving silence from my other three letters, I get the feeling you are just trying to pay me a compliment so I feel better." His reply held a smirk at the end and the woman's smile beamed even more; finally happy to see her friend's mood shifting slightly.

"Now, Henry, when have you ever known me to say things that aren't true?" Her pink lips were curving up into a smirk too, but slightly fell watching her friend carefully fold the letter.

"Do you think they'll respond this time?"

The question weighed heavily in the air between them and Henry did not want to answer. Each time he had written and asked for help, but each time he was met with not even a whisper of hope. The woman wished she'd never asked, but she was beginning to worry that no one would come to help London and it would continue down the treacherous path that Starrick had laid out for it.

"Well," she began. "Because if you get silence again, I worry I might have to go to the Brotherhood myself and give Brother George a piece of my mind." She placed her hands on her hips as she spoke and Henry chuckled at her now firm expression.

"Perhaps I should have sent you after the first letter. You might have been able to make more progress than myself, Adelaide." Henry tucked the letter firmly within his uniform, eager to speak about something else. "What other news do you bring?"

"More Blighters are being stationed throughout the city even in daylight. I supposed Starrick wants his control over London no matter the time of day." Adelaide said with disdain. The Blighters were a street gang formed by Starrick to take control over the boroughs of London. Normally they would take to the streets at night, hiding within the shadows, but more and more of them did not use the shadows to hide anymore. Instead, they'd commit their deeds in daylight, a show of brute force and a warning to those of what should happen if you crossed their path.

"And the Clinkers?"

"Initially we thought the Clinkers were being wiped out, but..." The woman reached up to the hem of the long sleeve of her dress and pulled out a folded slip of paper. She opened it and tried to flatten it out before setting it down on the counter. On it was a rough drawing of Whitechapel with a circle around one of the buildings hidden away from the streets.

Adelaide pointed to the spot she'd circled with a gleam in her eyes. "Clara has seen Blighters bringing those dressed in Clinker uniforms to this location. I worry they're being kept in a stronghold there. I am not entirely sure of the reason why."

"A show of force? Maybe the Blighters intend to have the Clinkers join them?" Henry's fingers rubbed against his chin pensively. "If that were to happen, London would have no other source of protection from the Blighters."

The gleam in Adelaide's eyes grew dull and she let out a sigh. "I know."

The mood inside the _Curio Shop_ had become somber again. It was as if each day brought more bad news than rainy days in London. Neither were sure for how much more they could possibly stand it. No matter the steps they had taken to make London a better, safer place for it's people — Starrick was always there to tear down their efforts. They both worried if London would ever return to its former glory. Henry's hand gently clasped hers, the darker tone of his skin contrasting widely with her pale complexion.

"We must not give up." He told her and she nodded before giving his hand a squeeze.

"No. We mustn't." She reached across the counter to take up his other hand firmly in her hold. "I know the Assassins have not come to help you, but I will continue to do whatever I can."

Henry Green smiled at his dear friend. She always managed to keep his hope from being snuffed out. "I should warn you. If the Assassins come — Crawford's wrath will only get worse."

The woman across from him nodded. "And we'll be ready for him with _or without_ the Assassins."

Little did the pair know, a train would be coming in from Croydon with a delivery that would shake the very foundations of Starrick's hold over London. They would not only receive one Assassin. They'd be receiving two.


	2. The Churning Seas of London

**Silent Running**

**Chapter 2:** The Churning Seas of London

* * *

Evie Frye had hardly gotten a wink of sleep the night before. Her mind was racing with thoughts of London as her and her brother were carried all through the night until they finally lurched to a stop at the train station in the early morning. While she was beyond excited to get out of Crawley and out from under George's thumb, she did need some convincing from Jacob to start their new endeavor. She'd always been the twin to follow the rules and tow the line, so the rule-breaking was always left to Jacob. Nervous yet bubbling with the prospect of liberating London, she decided that it could be a good thing to break the rules once in a while. Stepping onto the platform, brother and sister were greeted with the humming sounds of Whitechapel. People walked past them, some getting into train cars while others waiting patiently for their trains. Mothers tugged excited children by their wrists while business men glanced over their morning papers. The twins walked to the exit of the station and looked out onto the streets before them. Even the streets were filled with chattering people and horse-drawn carriages clopping along the cobblestones.

"I've never seen so many people all at once." Jacob remarked. Even he was slightly amazed at how alive Whitechapel was compared to Croydon and Crawley put together, but he'd hardly let Evie know it. He was more excited to slip on his brass knuckles and be pointed to the nearest pub.

"The churning seas of London." Evie's eyes were alight with wonder. "It's just the way father described."

_Ah, father._ She wished he could see them now. Well, she wished he could see _her_ now. Evie had always been the one of the pair to please everyone and her father was no different. In actuality, he was the one she wanted to please the most. He'd taught them about the assassins and everything an assassin should be. Evie always had her nose buried in her studies while Jacob was the more impulsive of the pair. It was something Jacob took great pride in and would always find a way to tease Evie about it any chance he could even as they grew into adults. Whenever she would be pouring over her books, he'd slip on his brass knuckles with a snarky reply along the lines of Evie spending another night alone with her books. She never let it get her down too much though; for she'd remain the apple of her father's eye while Jacob would constantly be on the receiving end of long lectures and harsh words. Needless to say she was the twin that took it the worst when her father passed. Jacob seemed to carry on like business as usual, whereas Evie felt a void within her that she worried would never be filled. She was no longer vying for his attention or praise; a thing she loved the most even if she would hardly show it. She promised herself that she would carry on her father's work and be the assassin he wanted her to be.

"Now, to find Henry Greene and formulate a plan of attack against the Templars."

"Who's Mister Greene again?" Jacob asked absently; still looking about. The name rang a bell, but the echo of it disappeared as quickly as it came.

The question made Evie glare at her brother. She only mentioned Henry Green's name multiple times during their time on the train together. "The assassin watching over London. Did you not listen the first three times?"

"Listen to what?" He held his hands up and was promptly bumped into by a thin, lanky limbed boy. The boy visibly shrunk away from Jacob's much larger form and side-stepped the pair.

"Oy! Watch it!" The assassin growled.

"Peg pardon, sir." The boy held up his hands before breaking out into a jog away from them. During that time, Jacob realized a pocket on his coat was a little lighter than when he stepped off the train and onto the platform. By the time he checked his pocket to confirm his suspicion, the boy was now running and nearly out of sight.

"Hey! Come back here you filthy dipper!" He bolted after the boy, dodging and nearly pushing people down to gain some speed.

"Jacob, stop!" Evie rushed down the steps of the train station.

"Shame about that." A feminine voice teased and Evie stopped in her tracks to face a very well-dressed young woman who was perched at the bottom of the steps just a few feet away from them. "That boy will outrun him soon enough. Urchins are fast runners."

Evie's eyebrows scrunched at the chuckle in the woman's voice. "Who are you?"

"A friend, I assure you." The woman replied; all traces of her jesting had disappeared. It wasn't until now that Evie was able to get a good look at her. The twin felt her own breath suck in at the sight of the woman's silhouette that could only be achieved by a tightly laced corset. Evie was beyond thankful that she was never raised to even feel a corset around her waist. She marveled at how this woman was able to stand up straight, breathe, and even carry on a conversation with her all at the same time. As if that wasn't enough for Evie, the woman's dress was more tapered along her hips and legs. How on Earth could women run if they truly needed to in those things? Her dress was deep blue; very different from the darker tones that she wore to blend in with the shadows. Long sleeves and a high-neck top shielded her skin from the prying eyes that she'd met during her travels. A matching colored hat was perched atop her neatly done curls and a thin veil was pulled over her face. Evie also noticed that she held a cane in her hand not unlike the ones she and Jacob used on missions. This woman had become a complicated riddle for Evie to unravel.

"You're looking for Mister Green."

It wasn't a question, rather a statement. Evie nodded slowly and the woman looked over her shoulder to make sure no others were listening.

"Well, I'm elated that Mr. Westhouse finally had enough common sense to send someone here." Her statement caused the gears in Evie's head to come to a screeching halt. Mainly because she'd never head _anyone_ call George by Mr. Westhouse and partly because George never mentioned anything about Assassins needed in London. The only mention of it was from Jacob. Perhaps Jacob knew about this? No, Jacob was so aloof about Mr. Green that Evie would hardly give him _that_ much credit.

"Anyhow," The woman shook her own head and cursed herself for babbling. "You should go after your friend. And don't worry about Mr. Green. He'll find you."

Evie was going to question the woman further, but she heard Jacob's echo calling her name from the alleyway he had vanished down earlier. Giving a roll of her eyes, she went to bid their new _friend_ goodbye, but she was gone. The Assassin looked all around her, blue eyes darting from the train station to the crowded streets, but the mysterious woman seemed to disappear into thin air. Evie then heard Jacob calling her again, so she decided to abandon her hunt to go see what trouble her brother had gotten himself into now. Perhaps she'd share news of this new friend. This woman knew Mr. Green, hell, she even knew George enough to speak about him. She could be an asset to their mission in London. Was she an undercover London Assassin? The way she made London sound; it seemed like it needed all the help they could get. But why didn't George mention that London needed help? She sounded rather annoyed when she spoke George's name in their conversation. With all of the questions in her head, Evie did entertain the thought of letting her brother in on the news of a possible ally, but quickly abandoned the idea after imagining Jacob ridiculing her inability to hold onto a possible ally and press her for more information. Evie scoffed a little too loudly to herself - as if Jacob could do _any_ better.

Perhaps it would be better if she kept this little meeting to herself.

* * *

True to the woman's word, Mr. Green did find the Unstoppable Frye Twins, as George so lovingly called them. Jacob had challenged his darling sister to a climbing challenge. He was always better at climbing than her. He was always better at a lot of things than Evie. And especially after that urchin stole his coin purse, Jacob's ego was slightly bruised and needed nursing. He'd never let Evie know that though. Jacob chortled an insult to her over his shoulder, something about her spending too much time with her books before bolting up the side of the first building he saw. He prided himself on being the muscle of the pair, even though Evie was quite strong herself. Jacob had always felt that his father never appreciated his thirst for adventure and a lively brawl. It seemed like father never appreciated much of Jacob's antics, so naturally it made sense to let his sister take the spotlight. Jacob liked it that way, so he hardly disrupted it. But now with father gone, the twins spent more time with each other than usual. A little healthy competition never hurt anyone, Jacob though to himself as he perched himself high up onto the rooftop. He'd won, of course, despite Evie's constant nagging about how she'd always been better at stealth than him. Who needed stealth anyway when one could derail a train?

Whoops.

Fortunately for him, Evie had not brought up the train incident and in return he didn't bring up the lab incident. The mission in Crawley had not gone to plan, so he did understand why George was hesitant to allow them passage to London. But mistakes happen, right? The pair were at their wits end and were ready to return to the streets below them when a dark-skinned man dressed in white Assassin robes joined them upon the roof. So, this was the famous Mr. Green his sister was so enthralled with meeting. He seemed nice enough. Evie was her normal charming self, which made Jacob want to roll his eyes, but he steeled himself for his sister's sake. Henry Green had briefed them all about the cesspool that was now Whitechapel. Street gangs and unruly boroughs, and Templars - nothing Evie and Jacob were unfamiliar with. One thing they were unfamiliar with, however, was that Henry had been expecting them. An even more laughable concept was that he'd written letters to George Westhouse of all people and requested aid multiple times. Jacob spared a quick glance to his sister and he could see her struggling to keep her honest mouth shut, but she hid her surprise quicker than he'd expected, so he did the same and went along with it. He even put the idea in Henry's head about starting his own gang. Of course Evie was trying to shut the idea down and he was going to bicker with her further, but Henry was so thankful for their services no matter the extent and offered to take them to his shop to discuss plans for the takedown of the Templars.

Back on the ground, they spoke more about the hard times that Whitechapel had fallen on, but Jacob was hardly listening. Evie was hanging onto every word that left Henry Green's mouth, but Jacob had bigger plans. He was already forming the beginnings of his new gang in his head. He'd already come up with a name for them. _The Rooks_. It was simple, but to the point. Evie hated the name, but it wasn't her gang, so in Jacob's mind her opinion was moot. Of course they'd have uniforms. Uniforms would be a must. The finer points he'd work out later, but for now he'd have to find a way to recruit it's first members. Henry spoke of a gang called The Clinkers, whom were the peoples' protection until the chokehold of the Blighters became suffocating. Many disappeared while others joined the Blighters. If Jacob could track some loyal Clinkers down, he'd recruit them as a start. It would be logical! They'd have experience flighting, they'd know the streets well, and they'd fight for the betterment of London. Jacob was so enthralled in the formation of his new gang, that he bumped into a rather odd man by the name of Charles Dickens. A quack, Jacob declared to himself, but Henry swore that he would be a useful contact if the twins ever decided to call on him.

Henry's eyes then trailed to a pair across the street from them. A man and a woman clad in bright red uniforms. Ah, so these must be The Blighters. The very gang that was terrorizing London's streets day and night. Come to think of it, Jacob put two Blighters face down in the mud after he lost that little bastard that took his coin purse. The man looked gazes with Henry's and grunted to his female partner. The woman's head whipped around and as soon as she saw Henry, she ran down the street. Likely to alert some more badly dressed gang members that multiple Assassins were traipsing along their streets. It wouldn't be their streets for long, Jacob grinned to himself.

"Kaylock's gang is nearby. They must not follow me back to my shop." Henry's normally calm demeanor vanished.

"We'll take care of it." Evie promised, throwing a glare to the large Blighter who had kept his eyes on them.

"Here." Henry produced a pair of pistols from his pockets and handed one to each twin. "You might be able to use this."

Jacob took it without question and admired its handiwork. "Oh God, I hope so!"

"My carriage is nearby. Make use of it to throw them off my trail. I'll meet you at the Curio Shop." Henry was quick to disappear from street view, leaving Evie and Jacob to dart for his carriage that was parked along the street. They hopped up into the seat just as two other Blighters had arrived with the female who had summoned them. Waisting no time, Evie took the reins and cracked them against the horse's rear end. The creature neighed and took off and to the twin's dismay, a carriage was quick to start after them. Evie snapped the reins again, spurring the horse to go faster and soon they were in a high speed carriage chase with the Blighters. While Evie drove, Jacob was shouting to those on the street to back away from the road. There was no reason that this chase needed to hurt innocent people. He glanced over his shoulder, but the Blighter carriage was now beside theirs.

"Brace yourself!" He shouted to his sister just before the Blighter carriage smashed into theirs. The wood on both carriages creaked and moaned loudly. The twins visibly winced, not wanting to damage Henry's carriage, but based on how aggressive these Blighters were - damage was inevitable. It jostled the twins a bit, but they gripped tightly onto whatever surface they could to prevent themselves from falling off and becoming a new cobblestone in the road. Evie still kept her eyes on the road, intent on losing the other carriage, but she could faintly hear Jacob telling her to hold on again. This time when the carriage hit theirs, it stayed close enough that the passenger tried to throw a punch at Jacob.

"Finally," he smirked and caught the punch. He used his own weight to push the Blighter back into his seat and knock into the driver. The Blighter was quick to produce a gun from the pocket of his coat and aim it at Jacob.

"Hang on!" Evie barked before pulling the reins to make a sharp right turn in an effort to lose the carriage.

Instead, she lost her brother.

It was at that moment when Jacob thanked his ability to think on his feet better than his sister. As if time slowed down, he felt the carriage jerk right and the platform his feet were braced on had disappeared. He flew towards the Blighter who was surprised at a man flying at him. Jacob took the moment of surprise to grasp the arm that held the gun and point it upwards just as the Blighter fired. The shot echoed and was followed by shouts and screams down below. People rushed out of the way and called for officers to stop the madness that was ensuing on their streets. Jacob tackled the Blighter to the bench and beat his face in with his fist all the while his friend tried to keep the carriage steady with following Evie. One bloodied Blighter later, Jacob turned his sights on the carriage driver and just as he was about to unleash his wrath, the driver jerked his horse back towards Evie's carriage.

Jacob was now catapulted backwards back towards Evie, but was taken by surprise by the move that his hand slipped from the iron siding on the carriage. He felt himself falling and half expected the ground to come into contact with his back, but it was his sister's hand that managed to grab the tails of his coat as he flew past her. Jacob hung upside down for a moment, getting his grounding, of lack thereof back before hoisting himself to sit beside his sister whose eyes had never left the road for a minute. They could hear the Blighters cursing and throwing hands at them as they continued the chase. Jacob sent them a few shamefully crass gestures before Evie yanked his coat to get him to sit

"Let's not stoop to their level." He could hear the teasing in her voice, but part of him knew she was serious.

"Well, last I checked, you're not doing much to lose them." He grumbled.

"Oh, like you could do any better." Evie hissed.

"Actually, I could." Her brother jabbed.

"Jacob, now is not the time to-" Up ahead, she saw an elderly couple crossing the street. They clearly hadn't heeded anyone's warning to get out of the way and they certainly were not going to now. People shouted at them, but their pleas were like prayers on the wind. Evie had to make a choice and as much as she didn't want to give up the chase, she gave a gasp and tugged on the reins to get her horse to stop. Hopefully they could stop in time before they ran them down. Jacob's hands even joined hers and they both pulled. The horse gave a garish neigh and the Blighters then took their opportunity to crash into their carriage. The sound was horrific. Wood splintering, women screaming, and horses groaning. Both carriages hit the ground and overturned onto their sides. Jacob and Evie managed to roll themselves to the side, as to not get crushed by the carriage or the horses who were moaning in pain on the ground. Jacob repeatedly punched the hitch that held them to the carriage and tried his best to push the carriage out of the way, but he was greeted by the sound of the two Blighters pulling themselves from the wreckage.

A flash of deep blue made Evie turn to see the very same woman she was speaking with earlier. She stood on the sidewalk between the twins and the Blighters and she was beside a rather large grey horse that was not hitched to a carriage yet it had a bridle strapped to it's head. The beast had quite slender legs which carried a deep chest and muscular, angular shoulders. It's coat gave a silver, shimmering hue in the London sun and it's long mane rested softly against it's long neck. One odd thing Evie was able to pick out was that the tops of the horse's ears slanted inward. She'd never seen a horse with such strange looking ears before. As if hearing her inner thoughts, the beast's head turned and it huffed in the direction of the twins. Evie then averted her eyes as if to apologize for thinking so loudly about it's appearance. Jacob shook his sister from her thoughts, but he too caught the eyes of the woman down the street. He'd mean to ask Evie about her when they got out of this mess. By now, the Blighters were getting onto their feet and they were still ready for a fight.

The men took a moment before breaking out into a sprint down the street. The twins were ready to stand their ground and fight, but an unexpected player had stepped into the ring. It was all happening so quickly. In one moment, Evie managed to catch the panic in the woman's face as she watched the men come closer, but in the next, the woman's gloved hands gripped the reins of her horse tightly. She yanked her horse forcefully into the middle of the street just as the Blighters had approached them. Unable to slow down in time, they knocked against the horse's giant body with an audible thud. They both crashed to the cobblestones and unfortunately for the smaller of the men, he happened to fall just at the rear end of the beast.

"Kali, sit!"

Seconds after the command was given the horse gave a powerful neigh before lowering it's body onto the stunned Blighter below. He grunted and clawed at the ground to try and wriggle his way free, but the horse refused to budge from her new-found seat. The woman gave Kali a nice pat along her neck to the chorus of chuckles from those on the street while trying to hold in her own laughter as the other, much larger Blighter slowly got to his feet with anger in his eyes.

"Oh, I apologize for my horse." The woman chortled amicably with a pearly white smile. "She is just impossible, I'm afraid."

Jacob was gobsmacked. He'd expected this kind of brazen, bold behavior from women within the creed. A typical women would be busy inside enjoying their tea and finger sandwiches, not petting her horse for sitting on a deadly gang member. He felt his lips curl into a smile just watching how she handled herself in the face of imminent danger. Perhaps she was an London Assassin who was sent to Whitechapel to help Henry Green? After all, Henry did not strike Jacob as the brawling type. He practically ran away from the Blighters earlier which then ensued this wild carriage chase. He looked to Evie who also shared a grin, but hers was one of realization. She really is a friend, she thought to herself and let out a chuckle as the horse adjusted her body to make herself more comfortable to which the Blighter gave a loud shout.

"Get this beast offa' me!" He begged from beneath the horse's bottom.

His larger, much more intimidating friend stepped up to her and spat at her feet. His thundering voice matched his huge hands that waved through the air. "Move tha' beast, now!"

Disdain now painted her features yet her glance did not leave his. With dainty fingers, she removed the veil from her face, propping it against the brim of her hat and it was now that the twins could get a good look at her face. From behind the veil covering her face sat a petite nose, rosy lips and dark brown eyes that stirred a deep fire in the pit of Jacob's stomach. Not only was she bold, but she was beautiful. He'd seen uglier women and she was definitely not one of them. His gaze then trailed to her figure that was wrapped in shades of blue. She was an anomaly to him. Brazen, yet pristine. He was hopeful he'd get to know her better to uncover the mystery behind her. Jacob watched her begin to remove her gloves. She even did that like a lady. One finger at a time, one hand at a time and she tucked them within a fold of her dress. In a seamless motion, she then produced the cane she'd had earlier from a pocket and let the heavy top end slide toward the ground while she gripped the end in her small hand.

"I find that quite rude."

The Blighter was now putting is grubby fingers in her face and his voice lowered to a rumbling threat. The twins wanted to intervene, but an invisible firm hand upon their shoulders told them to wait and watch.

"Move tha' beast or I'll be forced to wreck that pretty face of yours."

"I will be forced to thrash you." The practicality in her voice almost made Jacob chuckle. It was as if she was asking permission to beat this man within an inch of his life. When the Blighter didn't move - she did. In one fell strong swoop, the metal on the cane cracked against the Blighter's jaw. Gasps on the street rang in her ears, but she was hardly finished there. She whipped the cane across his face again, beating the other side of his cheek and nose. Angry, red blood wept from his nostrils and dribbled onto his dusty red jacket. He held his face and howled in pain, leaving the rest of his body open and she smirked before giving another very calculated blow.

Right to his groin.

Jacob felt his own groin wince and even Evie's face scrunched up at the high-pitched sound that left the Blighter's lips. Yelps from the bystanders on the street made her smirk grow wider before she gave multiple blows to the Blighter's ribs. The audible crack echoed in the air and with one final swing, the Blighter crumpled to the ground in a heap. The rowdier of the crowd applauded while some of more polished citizens of Whitechapel gave their nod of approval for her takedown. She waited to make sure he was down for the count before patting Kali twice on her shoulder. The horse rose off of the other gang member who had been long passed out and clopped to stand beside her rider obediently. The woman took the reins and met the eyes of a few men dressed in blue coats lining the streets. She nodded to them and like ants to a picnic, they took to the scene. Two grabbed the unconscious Blighters while others helped to clear the carriages and check on the overturned horses. The woman then turned to the twins and approached them with Kali following right behind her. It wasn't until she got closer did they see she had some speckles of blood had decorated her cheeks and nose like freckles.

"Shall we?" The question seemed so simple. As if she hadn't just beaten a man bloody in the broad daylight on the streets of Whitechapel. Both Jacob and Evie nodded wordlessly, impressed and slightly afraid of the calm she held despite being engaged in a brawl with a man easily more than twice her size. She hid her cane and then slipped on her gloves over her bloodied hands as they walked away from the commotion. They followed her in complete silence despite the questions that bubbled on their lips. Who was she? Where did she learn to fight? Would she be a useful ally? They pushed their questions down like eager pups and continued to trailed her passed a few turns until they reached an awning that spelled out _Curiosity Shop_ in swirling letters. The woman tied up Kali to a post outside the shop and held her large face. She whispered some words to her before opening the door to the shop and allowing the twins to step inside first. The bell tinkled softly and the twins stepped up to see Henry standing and pouring over some papers at the counter.

"Did you give them the slip?" Henry greeted them with a wide smile, but then his gaze trailed to the woman behind the pair. "Ah, I see you've been introduced."

"Not formally." She sighed and removed her hat from her head, placing it into the rack beside the door. With a smile, she clasped both hands in front of her before turning to the twins.

Henry stepped out from behind the counter and gestured to the pair. "Well, then. Jacob and Evie Frye, may I introduce you to Miss Bennett."

The woman held out her gloved hand and each twin shook it. "Adelaide Bennett. It's a pleasure to finally meet the famed Frye twins. You two have garnered quite the name for yourselves already."

Jacob's eyebrows wiggled and he cast a glance to his sister. "Is that so?"

Adelaide's eyes met Jacob's and he felt his stomach drop. She looked hauntingly beautiful with blood on her skin. "Just so."

"Miss Bennett is an informant of mine and a very dear friend." Henry looked upon her proudly and she threw him a playful grin.

"We're both so happy that you're here. Whitechapel has fallen on hard times."

"Don't I know it. Some little wretch stole my coin purse this morning." Jacob grumbled and he missed it, but Adelaide's eyes twinkled just slightly as if she knew a secret and was struggling to keep it hidden behind her rosy lips.

Evie rolled her eyes at her brother's incessant ability to dwell on the past. "We're happy to help in anyway we can."

Henry then gestured to his desk which was covered in papers in neat piles. "Shall we?"

The twins came closer to see the drawings of people decorated the papers with names scrawled beneath them. Evie's blue eyes ran over each one while Jacob had struck up a conversation with Adelaide who was making an effort to fix her face with a handkerchief from Henry. _Sergeant Abberline_. _Clara O'Dea_. _Rexford Kaylock_. _Crawford Starrick_. These must be the essential players within Whitechapel. It would be important to learn their names and faces, something Evie was quite known for. In another pile were notes and drawings of street views such as store and building fronts. Evie had already started memorizing, however Jacob was still droning on about his experience this morning.

"And then the little dipper cowered in the dirt and swore he'd never steal from me again." His bolstering voice shook Evie from her concentration. Adelaide seemed to humor Jacob which Evie wished she really hadn't done. Any attention and Jacob's head would swell.

"Well, Mister Frye, you're quite the negotiator."

"Jacob, please." He implored her with a charming smile. "When I hear Mister Frye I think of my father."

Quick as a whip, she caught the disdain in his voice. She was hardly one to miss much. "Not fond of him are you, Jacob?"

"Not entirely. Bit of a prude. One to follow rules."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Not at all, but I'm not the one who beat a Blighter in a place that would make typical make women of your kind blush."

Evie thought it was finally time to interrupt her brother's flirting. "Let's return to the task at hand, shall we?"

The statement made Adelaide glance over at the clock against the wall by the window and she reached behind the counter to grasp a small purse. "Ah, yes of course. You two have work to do and as do I."

"Safe travels, Adelaide." Henry regarded and Jacob's eyes grew wide.

"I'm sorry, but have you not seen her with cane?!"

"I shall be at Babylon Alley should you need to call on me." She ignored Jacob's comment as she walked to the hat rack. She perched her hat onto her head and turned to face the twins. "It was lovely meeting you both."

"A pleasure." Evie returned with a smile and returned to the counter with Jacob.

"Oh, and Mister Frye?" Adelaide turned over her should just enough to catch his gaze. She caught the hopeful gaze in his eyes that she would have some sort of witty comment about making men blush or at the assumption of the kind of woman she was, but he'd be greeted with none of that.

"Think fast."

Thankfully Jacob's reflexes were fast. She lobbed an item at him and he caught it deftly with one hand. He weighed it in his hand before peering down at it in awe. Evie's eyes were wide, but she was trying to hide laughter. Henry Green looked confused as ever and even leaned over the counter to get a good look at what his informant tossed at the Assassin. Evie told herself she'd tell Henry the story if she would be able to get through it without laughing out loud. By the time Jacob looked to the door to find Adelaide, she had disappeared with nothing but the sound of the bell above the door ringing in his ears. His hand closed around his coin purse and he tucked it neatly into his pocket with only one thought in his head.

It seemed a bit lighter now than it did when he packed it.

* * *

**I hope everyone is staying well despite what is going on in the world now. Hopefully this chapter will make someone's day a little easier. I know writing it made me feel like I had some control. Reviews and messages are always ****appreciated!**


	3. A Small Favor

**Silent Running**  
**Chapter 3:** A Small Favor

* * *

After Adelaide left the Curio Shop, Henry Green got down to business of explaining the essential players of Whitechapel. First, he went through all of those that would help them to ensure Crawford Starrick's grip upon London would loosen. The police would turn a blind eye to their activity and the urchins would make for great spies on the street. For Jacob, the more exciting parts of the conversation came when Henry listed the leaders of the all the gangs throughout the boroughs. He could practically feel the brass knuckles weighing heavily on his hand. The adrenaline from the carriage fight earlier was a slowly dying fire in his veins and he felt the need for another brawl to stoke it. Jacob picked up each picture, committing the name and face to his memory.

_Rexford Kaylock - Whitechapel_

_Cletus Strain - Lambeth_

_Edith Swinebourne - The Thames_

_Bloody Nora - The City of London_

_Octavia Plumb - Southwark_

_Victor Lynch - The Strand_

_Lilla Graves - Westminster_

Seven gang wars. It was would be quite the job, but it wouldn't be anything his Rooks couldn't handle. Their first fight would be in Whitechapel, so Jacob would need to do some recruiting to make sure Evie and himself would have enough members to a pack a punch against the Blighters. Any survivors of the gang war would be given the choice to join the ranks of the Rooks to help take back control over London. The twins decided to first make use of their allies within Whitechapel. They'd find Mr. Abberline and introduce themselves. The sooner the police knew about them, the easier it would be to start cleaning up the city. The bell of the Curio Shop rang it's goodbye as the pair exited the shop. Both of them had a clear picture of Mr. Abberline in their minds, but Henry informed them that he would most likely be in disguise while on the streets. Adelaide's horse was gone from the post outside the shop and the very memory of the beast sitting on top of a Blighter made Jacob chuckle out loud. "What's so amusing?" Evie asked her brother.

"Nothing." He waved his hand as his laughter subsided and the pair began to walk down the alleyway leading to the main streets. "So, what do you think of this Miss Bennett?"

"Not intimidated by another woman, are you Jacob?" She scoffed and Jacob gave her a huff. "I think she can be a trustworthy ally. After all, she can handle herself just fine and she's working with Mr. Green."

The way his sister said the man's name made Jacob's stomach turn. He could immediately tell his sister was taking quite the liking to their new friend. The way she held onto every single word that came out of his mouth ever since he approached them on the rooftops. It was unlike his sister to not heed their father's advice. Never let personal feelings compromise the mission. Ethan Frye practically beat the notion into their heads since their training, but it became even more prevalent since their mother passed. Jacob never felt the need for personal feelings anyway - why deal with personal feelings when there were fights to be won?

Jacob's eyes rolled back in his skull. "Don't tell me you're sweet on the bloke already."

"I am not." His sister's blue eyes narrowed at his back and quickened her step to come up beside him. "Besides, I wasn't the one with his tongue dangling from his mouth when she was beating those Blighters to a pulp."

He could hardly keep himself from chuckling. "What can I say? I like a woman who can take care of herself."

"Funny." Evie raised her eyebrow at him. "You always struck me as the one who'd save the damsel in distress."

Her brother seemed to mull over his answer for a few moments. "I do love a good damsel."

Now it was Evie's turn to roll her eyes and give a sound of displeasure at her brother's immaturity. "Let's just find Mr. Abberline."

* * *

It took them longer than expected, but they were finally successful in finding Mr. Abberline. _That_ was an interesting meeting in itself. Henry Green had mentioned that he was a master of disguise and for the while that the twins were searching for him on the streets, they did believe it. However they were approached by an old woman with a very hairy beard who told them that she knew about the man they were looking for. Jacob, in typical fashion tore off the woman's head covering, revealing none other than the adamant Sargent Frederick Abberline. He scolded them for nearly blowing his cover, but was willing to turn a blind eye to them as long as they would bring some of the more violent gang members to him quietly. Jacob wasn't sure which meeting was more interesting. The one where he was bested by a child or accosted by a very hairy, strange old lady. Both were definitely interesting stories, but the latter painted a picture of Adelaide in his brain - a much prettier picture than Freddy Abberline dressed as an old lady.

With some time to kill before the sun would begin descending in the sky, the next stop would be Babylon Alley. The pair followed the sounds of giggling children down some alleyways until they could see some children playing against the wall and a group of smaller urchins gathered around none other than Adelaide Bennett. She sat with a group of smaller children and seemed oblivious to the arrival of the twins. She continued her reading to the urchins at her feet without missing a word written on the page. The children were eagerly gathered around her skirt and their eyes were wide, as if holding onto every word that left her lips. The children's faces and hands were covered in dirt, but Adelaide let them get as close to her as they needed. In the lap of one child sat Adelaide's hat and her tiny fingers gently pet the feathers as if a small bird rested perched there listening to the story. Jacob then noticed that Adelaide's hair was now tumbling over her shoulders in long curls. They framed her pale face and bounced as she read with great expression to them.

"The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well. Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next."

The children excitedly looked around to one another, curious as to what Alice would do next in the story. Adelaide smiled at them, but her gaze then lifted to see Evie and Jacob standing at the entrance to the alleyway. The urchins' eyes followed hers and they huddled closer to Adelaide. She stood and gently hugged them closer, to let them know that the newcomers were friends to them.

"Children, these are friends of mine and Mister Green." She told them and they seemed to visibly relax. "This is Evie Frye and her brother Jacob Frye."

They gave the pair small waves and smiles, but then were quickly tugging at her skirt to get her to continue to read the story to them. Adelaide patted their heads and gently ran her fingers through their hair. She bent down to their level and whispered something secretively to them, making them giggle before they moseyed themselves down to the different part of the alley. She watched them leave with a adoring smile before tucking the book back inside her purse. One of the children, however, hugged close to her body and kept watch over the Frye twins.

"What is this place?" Evie asked.

"Nice to meet you both at last." A young girl quite tall for her age walked up to meet the twins. "This is Babylon Alley. Here, we make it our business to know the streets and provide children with the opportunity to control their own destinies."

"Clara." Evie tested; recalling the name to the face she'd seen on a drawing on Henry's desk. "Mister Green said we might be able to help one another."

"In exchange for our services, we ask a small favor." Clara stated.

"Well, why not? You've already seem to have taken some of my money. Why not take a small favor too?" Jacob bit through his teeth while Evie pushed her hand against his chest.

"There are several factories about the city that are powered almost entirely by child labor. Those children work long hours, with little pay and most are not permitted to leave the factory grounds. They suffer terribly." It was something Jacob and Evie had both seen across London. Children being forced to work under terrible conditions only to make barely enough money to put scraps on their tables. Jacob remembered the boy from Rupert Ferris' factory. His screams were enough to wake the dead as he wriggled beneath a piece of machinery that had come loose. Rupert continued to bark his orders over the wails while two other workers tried to get him free. Those industrialist kinds didn't care about their workers. They were simply ants scurrying around in an ant hill.

"I need you to save them." Clara finished and Jacob's eyes grew wide.

"A small favor?!"

"In return we offer you intelligence; something you clearly need." Henry was right, Clara was smart as a whip. Adelaide hid a smirk from behind her hand while Evie gave a little chuckle.

"Oh, hold on a minute!" Jacob started, but Clara turned her attention swiftly away from him and to Evie.

"I'm late for an appointment. What of these terms?"

"We accept." Evie nodded and watched as Clara hocked a wad of spit into her palm. The twin followed and the two shook hands.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Clara grinned and promptly went back to small group of children she had been playing with.

"A small favor?" Jacob looked to his sister who rolled her eyes.

"This is how we can take Starrick down. We get to every branch of society he is a part of and we take it over." She explained.

"You two certainly don't miss a moment." Adelaide finally stepped up to the twins, still with the young boy clutching at her skirts.

"Of course." Evie spoke. "We've already been to see Sergeant Abberline to make sure that the police help us go unnoticed."

Adelaide tapped her fingers against her chin. "Let me guess...street sweeper?"

"No, a very hairy and strange old lady." Jacob replied and Adelaide laughed out loud.

"I've never seen that one before."

"Certainly no old lady I'd ever want to see." His joke made her laugh even more and her laughter made the little boy at her skirts peek up at them, but the moment the twins looked at him, he hid himself again. Adelaide shook her head at his shyness and crouched down to his level while Evie went to talk more with Clara about the locations of the factories that housed the children. The boy still remained hidden and kept his eyes trained on Jacob while whispering somethingin her ear. Jacob suddenly felt guilty for giving Clara a hard time with his missing money. At least he was able to get most of it back. These children weren't working in the factories, so they mostly stole to get money for food or clothing. What were a few coins missing from his purse? That money probably fed a few of the children in that very alley. He felt ashamed for how patient and giving Adelaide was to the children and wanted to find some way to let her know that he wasn't a terrible person.

Since when did he suddenly care about what other's thought? That was never him.

The boy then looked to Adelaide who nodded her head and he slowly walked off from the pair to join the other children who were playing. He kept his eyes on Jacob for a while before finally turning his back and rushing off around the corner. Adelaide peered after him and gave a sad sigh before turning herself back to Jacob.

"A quiet boy. Scared of his own shadow, I'm afraid."

"He'll be alright." Jacob waved his hand through the air. "I was like that as a boy too."

Adelaide shook her head with a chuckle on her lips. "I don't believe it."

"That is only because I was better at sneaking around than you." Evie spoke with an air of confidence as she approached the pair. "I think it is wonderful that you read to them. It's important that they have some education."

"They should still be educated even though they are urchins." She spoke with pride. "What they lack in academics, they make up with in their knowledge of the world around them. I know many of them from working in the orphanage. It wasn't long before the Templars took it over and forced a lot of these children to work in the factories."

_Whitechapel 1862_

_It was a heavy knock in the middle of the night that shook Adelaide from the sewing on her lap. Her hands slipped and she gave a low mutter when the needle pricked her finger. A ruby red droplet of blood emerged from under her skin and she quickly sucked the digit into her mouth to prevent it from staining one of the children's shirts. She examined the shirt and gave a sigh of relief seeing it was fine aside from the few holes that she had yet to fix. She'd been at the orphanage for a few months and enjoyed her time there. Her mother couldn't understand why she wanted to be in a dirty orphanage, but her father was more than happy to allow his daughter to get her hands dirty._

_Adelaide's father and mother were cut from two different cloths. Both from wealthy families, but her father was not one to shy away from manual labor while her mother preferred to keep to her fancy soirees and elegant gowns. She'd groomed Adelaide from a young age to be a proper lady and as much as a small child could like the structure, she'd count down the moments when her Papa came home and could be a child in every sense of the word. The sounds of their squabbles would wake her from her bed at night and she'd listen intently before the family maid would usher her back to her room. Mama was worried Adelaide's wild streak would cause her to be unsuitable for a husband, while Papa argued that Adelaide was much too young to think about having a husband. These disagreements would happen as Adelaide grew older and when she decided to give her time to the orphanage, she knew to go to Papa first._

_Another, much more incessant knock made Adelaide abandon her sewing and make her way to the double doors of the orphanage. She was greeted by two tall men wearing dark red coats. They peered down at her as if she was a fly seated on the behind of a horse. Adelaide, being a small young woman, puffed out her chest and placed her hands on her hips in an effort to make herself seem more fearsome than she was. That was what Papa taught her, to be strong and unafraid even if fear shook her to her very core._

_"Can I help you gentlemen?" Adelaide asked, but before she could finish her question, they used their shoulders to push past her and into the room. She was about to scold them for their rudeness to disturb them at such a late hour, but she was taken by her shoulders and ushered aside by one of the other workers as more men came in._

_"Charolette, what is the meaning of this?" Her friend shushed her voice to a whisper._

_"They've come to take them." She replied sadly. "It's been happening all over."_

_Adelaide shook herself free from her friend and rushed back to the main doors of the orphanage to see a taller man with dark hair and equally dark eyes. He wore a top hat, a long black coat with a white cloak around his shoulders. A bright red cross was embroidered on each shoulder of the white fabric. He looked much scarier than the two goons that came in before him._

_"Sir, what is going on here?" She tried to calm the tremble in her voice._

_"We have orders to take these children to work in the factories." He replied, not giving much mind to her._

_"Whose orders?!" Her demand made the man scowl down at her. She so badly wanted to shrink in her spot, but she stood her ground. To her surprise, the man produced a paper from his breast pocket and handed it to her. Scrawled on the paper were swirling letters stating that the children were to be taken from the orphanage and moved to the factory grounds. There, they would work and stay for an undisclosed amount of time._

_Her eyes lifted from the paper and she felt the urge to crumple it in her hand. "The factories are no place for these children. Some are still babies."_

_"Miss, please do not make this harder than it has to be." He snatched the paper from her tightened hold and motioned to a larger man who had just entered the orphanage. "See that we are not disturbed."_

_The man gripped her from behind and hauled her away from the man. Adelaide fought in his hold, but the strength of his arms constricted around her body like a snake squeezing the last breath from a meek little mouse. Even Charolette and the other women were held back as the men yanked the children from their beds, out the doors, and onto the streets._

_"Please, they're just children!" They screamed over the sounds of wailing from the bedrooms._

_Adelaide scratched at the man's arms, drawing blood and pushing his skin beneath her sharp nails, but he only tightened his grip on her. The children were dragged from their beds, kicking and shouting and fighting and biting. They wept for help, for someone to make the nightmare stop, but all who could help were powerless to. Adelaide lifted her foot and smashed it onto her captor's and he loosened just enough for her to get one of her arms free. She thrust the palm of her hand upward, not stopping until the cracking of bones sang in her ears and the feel of warm blood stained her skin. She was able to get free and run to the room where the children were being taken from. One of the younger girls was shrieking as one of the men was yanking at her leg while her small hands gripped the metal frame of the bed._

_"Stop! You leave her be!" She gripped his arm, but she was met with a strong backhand to her face. Adelaide tumbled to the ground, her head smashing into the side of the metal bed frame. Her head spun and the echos of the screaming children being ripped from her care seemed impossibly louder. She tried to get up, tried to shout after them to leave those children where they stood, but her pleas were swallowed by the wails of those she'd swore to protect._

Both twins watched the memory of that night leave Adelaide's eyes and it now that they could see that Clara's small favor would mean a lot to her. She'd formed friendships, relationships with these children. She watched many grow up, leave and then more young ones would come back into her life to nurture and love. These children would be freed - Jacob and Evie would make sure of it.

"I tried to rescue as many children as I could, but they beat me for it until I could hardly stand." She continued, pointing her gaze to the ground as if she was trying to hide the scars and bruises on her face from years ago. "It wasn't long after that night that I met Henry. We've been good friends and working against the Templars ever since."

Evie felt a twinge in her heart at the mention of Adelaide and Henry being such close friends, but she pushed it down. "That's why we are here. To finally rid London of the Templars."

Adelaide produced her cane from a fold on her dress. "I look forward to that day, Evie. Shall we continue?"

The trio made their way down the streets until they were walking on the main roads. The bustling sounds of the day reached their ears and was like music to Adelaide's ears. They all made their own small talk, mainly Evie asking about what other work there was left to do before they retired for the day, but there was only one burning question in Jacob's mind.

"So, who taught you how to fight with a cane?"

Adelaide caught Jacob looking over at her a number of times on their walk and counted the moments until he'd speak up. She passed him her cane and he examined it closely. It looked like a typical cane, but the wood was much heavier and the top end was fashioned for the use of bludgeoning Blighters.

"I travelled to India with Henry some time ago. Have either of you ever been?" She asked them and they both shook their heads. "Oh, it is simply lovely. You must go sometime. Well, I learned from some of his friends there."

Evie's eyes seemed to brighten up. "The Indian Brotherhood?"

"Precisely." Adelaide nodded.

"So, did you train to become an-"

"Oh, heaven's no!" She had to let out a laugh at that. "I could never do...do what you two do. I just wanted to learn how to handle myself and they taught me just that."

"And you do very well with that. Especially with hitting them where it hurts." Jacob shuddered, his mind recalling how the Blighter she struck went down like a sack of potatoes. He then handed the cane back to her and tapped his fingers along his chin. "You know, if say, there was a certain gang that would offer assistance to the London people..."

Evie gave an exasperated huff. "Jacob. Not the Rooks again."

"Who are the Rooks?" Adelaide asked curiously.

"My gang." Jacob said proudly. "I plan on united a group of disenfranchised miscreants under one name."

"Quite the lofty goal."

"Exactly." Evie cut in. "A goal that requires planning and for you to follow through."

"This is very true. Jacob has already told me how adverse he is to following rules." Adelaide stoked Evie's argument and Jacob feigned like he had been hurt by her response.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Is that a trick question?" She countered with a grin.

"I thought we were friends." Jacob rebuked.

"Oh, we are friends now?" Her pearly smile reminded him of a necklace he'd see nestled around her neck.

"Miss Addy," the small voice of a child and the tug of Adelaide's skirt made her turn to see the young girl holding Adelaide's hat within her hands. Adelaide took it in her hands and gently brushed her fingers through the urchin's blonde hair.

"Thank you, darling." Adelaide fixed the hat to her head. "Run along now."

The child looked up at the twins before dashing back into the shadows. Adelaide watched after her before leading the twins to a post where Kali was tied to and waiting patiently. The horse gave a soft neigh at the return of her master and Adelaide patted her neck with a strong hand. Kali seemed to not give the twins any mind, that was until Jacob lifted his hand to pat her as well. Kali blew out her nostrils and stomped her hooves into the ground, making Jacob jump back and hide his hand for fear of it being torn off.

"Kali," Adelaide tsked at her.

"Who's a good horse?" Jacob changed the normally deep register in his voice, but Kali was not fazed.

Evie, eager to shift the conversation asked the question she'd kept in the back of her mind. "I've never seen such ears on a horse."

"She's a Marwari horse from India. The Maharaja thought he could beat me at Moksha Patam. He can be quite a gambling man. He lost and well, Kali came back with me to England."

"You...you know the Maharaja?" Evie could hardly get the words out of her mouth. Even Jacob was impressed hearing the Adelaide was also a gambler. He could hardly figure this woman out.

"A story for another time." Adelaide said while she untied Kali from her post. "Where to next?"

"Perhaps we should head back to Mr. Green's shop? That way we can regroup." Evie suggested.

"Good, let us take the long way, so I can here more about how you swindled a Maharaja out of his horse."

* * *

**A/N:** **Some backstory to our mysterious Miss Adelaide ;) Jacob seems to be very smitten with her and Evie is quite fond of Mr. Green. Please review and give love. I hope things are starting to open up in phases depending on where you are in the world. I am praying that everyone is staying safe and healthy.**


	4. The Battle for Whitechapel

**Silent Running**

**Chapter 4:** The Battle for Whitechapel

* * *

Over the coming weeks, the Frye twins split their time between apprehending gang members and handing them over to Mr. Abberline and freeing the children in the neighboring factories. Many of those children either returned back to the orphanages or to Adelaide's care. While she was thankful to have them free, it was quickly becoming more and more difficult to properly care for all of them. She enlisted the help of Clara and some of the older children to be more mentors to the young ones. She used her contacts to get them work within the city, so they could at least have money to put food in their bellies. For the first time in years, Adelaide and Henry could see _real_ changes happening in London. Civilians weren't harassed by Blighters in broad daylight and many of the pubs had become happier establishments come nighttime all thanks to the Fryes.

Much to Evie's dismay, the Rooks were growing in their numbers. They would assist in patrolling the streets and keep the twins abreast of any problems within the boroughs. Their green uniforms had become a welcome sight in contrast to the red uniforms of the Blighters. Having the Rooks did work in Evie's favor though, most night Jacob would work to train them while she kept herself busy with tracking down the second Piece of Eden which she believed would soon be in Starrick's control if they didn't move quickly. If the piece that David Brewster acquired was able to destroy a laboratory, she shuddered to think what the other piece could do especially in the hands of the Templars. Evie would never be alone with her research though as she'd always preferred it to be. Adelaide would eagerly sit beside her and ask questions about the books she would read or the notes she would write. At first, Evie was slightly off put by another woman wanting to spend time with her, but in time, she did find Adelaide's company very refreshing. Maybe she'd put some thoughts into Jacob's head about the importance of a piece of Eden since he always managed to find Adelaide and chatter her ear off.

"It's amazing to me that something so small can cause so much trouble." Adelaide marveled at a drawing with notes scrawled around it that Evie had shown her. "These pieces are at the center of the wars between the Templars and the Assassins."

"I fear that if the second piece falls into Templar hands, then the real wars will start." Evie admitted somberly. "The most the Assassins can do is try to find it before the Templars and move it to a safe place where it can be researched."

"I hope Lucy Thorne hits a snag in her search. It would help to put us ahead a few paces." She said as she placed the paper down neatly along with the others as to not ruin Evie's hard work. Lucy Thorne was second in command to Crawford Starrick and was widely versed in occult philosophy. She was also present at the factory and was adamant that David Brewster had not delivered more promising results.

"If we knew what her next step was, then we could intercept her."

"Or at least trail along in the shadows." Adelaide added. "There is no harm in following a trail of breadcrumbs."

"If only she'd let a few crumbs fall." Evie huffed, seeming to become frustrated.

"Perhaps an opportunity will present itself after the gang war in Whitechapel. With Rexford Kaylock gone, that is bound to turn some heads and shake things up."

"Tell me more about Kaylock." The Assassin sat across from Adelaide and studied his picture again.

"A native of Whitechapel and handpicked by Starrick himself. He is known for being able to disappear without a trace."

The tinkling of the bell above Henry's door gave a soft jingle as Jacob entered the shop with his trademark grin. He waltzed over to his sister's side and plucked the picture from her grip to which Evie tightened her hold, but she eventually relented with a glare.

"Shall we make him vanish for real?" He sauntered to their wall of targets and posted his portrait where it had been taken off.

"In time, but we really should focus on finding the missing Piece of Eden."

Jacob could hardly fight the roll of his eyes. "Not when we are this close to gaining control of Whitechapel. That hunk of metal can wait."

"I think Adelaide and I have made great progress." Evie countered. "We've been looking into different location as to where the piece can be located."

"Ah yes, an exciting evening with Evie Frye. A night filled with books and notes." Jacob jested.

Adelaide shifted in her chair as she watched Evie become more and more agitated with her brother's attitude. She'd been a witness to their tifts more than once before and usually Henry was there to help deescalate the situation, but he was currently fetching some more books for Evie to look through. Adelaide never had a sibling, but she did understand each point the twins made. On the one hand, the boroughs needed to be liberated while on the other, the Piece of Eden would mean destruction for London if it fell into the wrong hands. One could not improve without the other.

"Actually before you arrived, we were just talking about how we are to defeat Rexford Kaylock." Adelaide made an effort to shift the conversation. "I know Henry gave you those pistols, but is there anything else you require? Kaylock won't be easy to defeat."

"Does Greenie have more surprises for us?" Jacob grinned at his new nickname for Henry. Evie hated it, but Henry never corrected Jacob whenever he used it. Adelaide was sure that Henry liked having another gentleman around.

"I think my friend was referring to the fact that you seem to be out of practice, my dear brother." Evie fought the urge to chuckle at the expense of her brother to which Adelaide felt the blush in her cheeks heat up even more. Yes, she mentioned that the twins should brush up before the gang war, but Evie would take any and all opportunities to rub it in Jacob's face. "With all of the recruiting you have been doing, you seem to have lost your touch for brawling."

Jacob's jaw fell open at her assumption while Adelaide averted her gaze. "Me? Out of practice? And what is your excuse then? I'm not the one sitting here looking over notes."

"Now, now! Will the two of you stop being at each other's throats?" Adelaide stood between them, a hand extended to their chests to keep them apart.

"But she-"

"He said that-"

"Enough!" She shouted and the twins stilled themselves. "My goodness, you two are like children. If you would like my opinion, I think the _both_ of you are out of practice."

The twins were about to refute her claim, but she gave them both a glare and they steeled themselves in their respective spots. My, how quickly their jesting would turn sour. Now wasn't the time for the twins to be heated. They needed to keep their heads on their shoulders in preparation for the gang fight. Jacob turned on his heel while Evie shot daggers from her blue eyes at his back. Adelaide gave a sigh at their childish behavior and clasped her hands delicately in front of her.

"Besides, I think I know someone who can be of help."

* * *

"What is that smell?" Evie fought the urge to pinch her nostrils closer as the trio wandered down the long darkened hallways of the underground. Adelaide brought them there by lantern light through a set of large red doors on the street. The Rooks were at their posts to assure that they would not be bothered along their way. The underground was as one would expect it would be. Dark, damp, and the potent stench of world above that drained down below.

"You get used to it." Adelaide replied with a shrug of her shoulders as they drew closer to more well lit area where the sounds of men cheering reached their ears. Standing against the wall was a man dressed in a blue suit with a tall top hat. His chin was tucked to his chest as he snored soundly on his post on the wall. She poked his hip with the butt of her cane and he jumped up as if he'd seen a ghost.

"No, it wasn't me, not guilty!" His rushed reply made Jacob raise an eyebrow while Evie tried to move further back into the shadows. She recognized him as the "carnie" that escaped from the Blighters the night David Brewster's lab exploded. The man suddenly piped up at the sight of Adelaide and gave her a winning grin.

"Ah, Miss Adelaide! My humble underground has been made brighter by a presence such as yours." He bowed and Adelaide shook her head at his antics.

"Always a charmer. Robert, these are my friends, Jacob and Evie Frye." She finally noticed that Jacob had slinked away to get a better look at the two men brawling in a wooden fighting ring. His eyes lit up like a child's who had tasted chocolate for the first time.

Robert's eyes looked to Evie who was wearing quite the scowl. "You! You're the one-"

"I assure you we've never met." Her biting words made Adelaide's brows rise and share a look with Robert as she made her way to stand by her brother.

"Is this a prize-fighting ring?" Jacob asked with excitement in his voice.

"You bet your eyes and ears it is m'lord, m'lady." The man came up to join them and threw a little wink to Evie who ignored it. "The name's Robert Topping. Best bookie in all of London, at your disposal. Well, second best, but me mum says Donald's a bit of a nincompoop. Anyhow - I can show you a vast array of exciting things: from prize-fighting to carriage races!"

"I think we can afford to spend a little time here." Evie nudged her brother's shoulder.

"Feel free to have a look around, my friends." Robert gestured and each twin seemed to head off in their own direction. Adelaide rested her lantern on a nearby table and stood beside Robert at the edge of the ring.

"So, how do you know Evie?" She asked him. The question had been gnawing at her brain ever since she noticed the connection between them.

Robert held up his hands in a dismissive manner. "I shall have the lady share it with you, if she so chooses to."

Adelaide gave a short chortle. Evie didn't seem like the type of girl to be Robert's fancy, but she would keep mention of the two of them knowing each other for a more private conversation. The female Frye definitely seemed to be taken with Henry as much as she tried to quell her pining for him. Henry did a far worse job. His eyes would linger on her form and he'd hold onto the words she spoke about any related to the safety of London. Adelaide thought it sweet; it was time Henry found a companion besides herself.

"I went back to the wreckage of Brewster's lab." The beginning of Robert's sentence suddenly made Adelaide more intrigued, but her excitement quickly deflated as he shook his head.

"No remnants of the Piece were found." He continued. "Just a pile of rubble and Brewster's body along with some other lackeys who had met their unfortunate end."

She cursed under her breath and Robert drummed his fingers against the side of the ring. "Then our next big move against Starrick will be in the upcoming gang fight. Put word out to your champions. If they want to fight, they'll be welcomed with open arms by the Rooks."

"Ah, yes, the Rooks." Robert nodded. "Led by that very charming bloke."

Adelaide followed his gaze to see Jacob sharing a pint and a chat with one of Robert's fighters. No doubt he was recruiting or seeing how he could get in the ring to fight. "Charming, yes. However he is also very reckless."

"But you agree - he is charming." Robert winked at her and she nudged his shoulder with hers. She tried to hide her smirk, but Robert knew her better than that.

* * *

The day of the gang war finally arrived and in true London fashion, the skies above both Rooks and Blighters was a bleak dark grey. A rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance, bringing an even bleaker mood to the day. Barricades were placed along the streets, outlining the parameters of the gang war. Rowdy civilians stood behind them, throwing nasty words and angry fists at the Blighters who terrorized their streets. Jacob and Evie waited with Adelaide and Henry on the Rook side of the barricades while the Blighters threw their own insults into the air. Adelaide was dressed in shades of green, a show of solidarity for standing with the Rooks. Sure, it only exemplified the already glowing target on her back from when she pummeled those Blighters, but it would also help to assist those who needed to find a familiar face on the streets of London. If people needed help, she'd be there to bring their case to the Fryes. Henry was initially against it, fearful for his friend's safety, but she wouldn't hear it. Her argument was that they started this with London's best interests at heart and it wouldn't falter no matter how much the danger would increase.

While Jacob and Evie talked strategy with Henry, Adelaide's dark gaze fell to the new recruits of the Rooks. Many of them were young men who had been liberated from the factories while others were school boys whom had become tired of their seemingly mundane existence. The Rooks took all who were willing to fight for the liberation of London and every young man had a role to play. Even some women had joined on the front lines for their cause. Adelaide was thankful to have them - it was either the Rooks or the whore houses that were a plenty on the Whitechapel streets. A boisterous shout from Rexford Kaylock, Whitechapel's leader, shook her from her thoughts. He was growing impatient and bloodthirsty. In mere moments, the cobblestones would run red with the blood of their enemies and some fledgling Rooks. The sky above them seemed to grow impossibly darker and Adelaide felt her body tremor at the thought of what was to transpire soon.

Jacob was the first of the twins to approach her. He was practically chomping at the bit to get started. "You seem nervous."

"And you seem very sure of yourself." She countered in an effort to dispel how anxious she felt.

"I can handle a few thugs." He cracked his knuckles as his gaze sized up each of the fighters on the opposite side of the barricade.

"And so can you."

"Certainly, but..." Her voice trailed off and was met with a loud crash of thunder. It only added to her already jumpy nerves. She swallowed the rest of her reply and gripped the top of her cane tighter. Perhaps it was best if she didn't speak further. She even found herself wishing that her corset wasn't tied so tightly. It felt as if the air around her had become thick with tension and not enough was filling her lungs. Jacob watched her shift her weight back and forth on her feet. In all the time he'd been in Whitechapel, he'd never seen her this quite unhinged. She was no stranger to any of this, so why now was her faith faltering?

"Miss Bennett?"

Both of them looked to see a bouldering shape of a man with a top hat resting on his head. He'd be sent from Crawford Starrick as a representative to oversee the terms of the fight. The Rooks had submitted their terms for battle to be agreed on by Kaylock.

"Well? Has Mister Kaylock agreed to our terms?" She asked him.

"He has, Miss." He gave her a firm nod before turning to Jacob just as Evie had joined his side. "Mister Rexford Kaylock waits for you at the Whitechapel Train Station. He's bet his train on the fight."

The twins affirmed their agreement of Kaylock's new bet and began to walk themselves to the barricade that separated them from the open street that would become their battleground. The Rooks all crowded behind them, eager to get the fight started. Adelaide faded into the background just as droplets of rain fell from the sky. A steady stream of water fell upon her cheeks, but was quickly stopped as a shadow clouded overhead. She smiled to Henry who'd been the one to open an umbrella to shield her from the storm and huddled closer to him as the shouts from the streets grew louder.

"Thank you, my dear friend, but we don't need you catching your death either." She gently took the umbrella from his hold and adjusted it, so they were both standing underneath it. The pair remained silent for sometime, letting themselves try to drown out the sounds of death that were not too far from them.

"What do you think is happening?" Henry asked her.

"I haven't the heart to look." She replied, shaking her head. "Henry..."

"Yes?"

"What happens if they lose?" She didn't want to ask the question, but she knew that Henry was thinking of it as well.

"We must keep our spirits up." He didn't quite answer her question, but she'd take this response over the alternative. If Jacob and Evie were unsuccessful in liberating Whitechapel, it would fall even further into despair with no hopes of coming back from such a devastating blow.

"I went to church and prayed this morning, Henry. We need to be successful in this gang fight." Adelaide wished she was still in the enveloping silence of the four walls of the church. She clutched her hands even tighter this morning as she knelt on her knees whispering her prayers to whomever would listen. She prayed for the betterment of London, for the Queen and for the Rooks. She also prayed for the safety of the Fryes who had been a godsend to their cause. Without Evie and Jacob, Whitechapel would continue to fall further into disarray. She prayed for Evie to find all the answers she needed to find the Piece of Eden as well as patience to deal with her brother. And she prayed for Jacob's fists to be swift and not be so hard on his sister.

The pair was shaken from their shared silence as the roars of discourse in the streets dissolved before the cheers of Whitechapel's citizens fell on their ears. Their gazes met before hurriedly making their way to the barricade, trying their best to politely move people aside. Seated in the Whitechapel Train Station was Kaylock's train and atop it victoriously stood Jacob and Evie. The rain was falling even harder now as if to rinse the blood of their enemies away. In Jacob's hand was Kaylock's Templar pin. The red and silver cross glistened in the storm and the Assassin held it high above his head.

"Kaylock is dead!" He announced to the crowd below him and he was met with thunderous cheers. However, some spared Blighters looked nervously between each other at the news of their gang leaders demise.

"Whitechapel is no longer in the hands of the Blighters!" Jacob then threw the pin down and it clinked loudly against the body of the train.

"You now have the chance to join our ranks. We welcome all who will stand up to Starrick and his cutthroats!" Evie called to the men and women dressed in red. For a few moments, they stood like statues, refusing to move, but one man took a few steps forward. Adelaide held her breath. He then discarded himself of his red jacket as a Rook brought him a green one. He gave the Rook a nod before sliding his arms into the sleeve and affixing it onto his shoulders. His friends were quick to follow, shedding their red coats for the color of the Rooks. Jacob leapt down from the train and patted the first man upon the shoulder. He then addressed his new gang members.

"Welcome to the Rooks!"

The crowd's cheering drowned out the Rooks welcoming their new comrades and even Evie gave a shout of victory from her place atop the train. Adelaide was thankful for the rain, for no one could see the tears of joy that had welled in her eyes. She felt her heart might explode from the happiness she felt. She and Henry had been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever. London was on her way to being liberated.

One borough down. Six to go.

* * *

Once the new Rooks were properly welcomed, Jacob and Evie invited Adelaide and Henry onto their newly acquired train. Like a true gentleman, Jacob extended his hand to hers and gently hoisted her up into the first train car. Henry shouted something about going back to his shop to gather some things, exclaiming how excellent of an idea it would be to have a hideaway in a train. Evie had suggested it since the Blighters were hot on the trail of where Henry's shop was. Adelaide was happy with this new development, but she would grow to miss Henry's shop. She'd grown so familiar with it and it would always hold a special place in her heart as the battle against the Templars would continue to wage on.

"You both were wonderful out there." Adelaide spoke as she and the twins travelled between cars. Rooks were already aboard removing any and all of Kaylock's belongings.

"We were, weren't we?" Jacob smirked at her, still high from tossing Kaylock's dead body off the top of the train as it barreled along. "You know, we were missing a partner though."

"Well, you know that Mister Green hardly participates in conflicts." She countered as Evie continued walking to the next car, but Jacob stopped to give a look to Adelaide's response. She stopped just before running into his chest and sent him a raised eyebrow. She then shrugged her shoulders, a very un-ladylike gesture as her mother would have told her.

"You." Jacob replied. "You would have been a big help out there."

Adelaide's eyes grew wide and she blinked a few times as if waiting for her ears to catch up with her brain. "Me? I don't participate in gang wars."

"Why not? You've trained with the Indian Brotherhood. You should be on the front lines with us."

"I only trained with the Brotherhood to...to take better care of myself, that's all." She hated admitting that she had trouble finding the right words to say. "Besides...I find it hard enough watching you and your sister kill people..." she tried her hardest to sidestep him, but his large frame blocked the doorway to the next car. Jacob then crossed his arms over his chest and she met it with placing her hands sternly on her hips. Her lips pursed and glared at him, but he remained unmoved.

"Do you intend to stand there all night?"

For a few moments, Jacob stood silently before replying. "You confuse me."

"How so?" She was slightly taken aback by his words.

"I just can't seem to figure you out." He began to chuckle. "You're a society lady, prim and proper, yet you're also a brawler."

Adelaide let out a hearty chuckle. "I would hardly call myself a brawler. I just know how to take care of myself."

"I've never met anyone like you." His confession made her gaze soften just slightly. She hated how he did that.

"And you shant."

"See!" He pointed. "Who says 'shant' except for ladies who take their tea in the gardens of their expansive estate."

"And it's so difficult to be both? A lady and a...an independent woman?" She then moved to cross her arms over her chest to mimic him.

"No, of course not. You just do it so well." He held up his hands in surrender and let out a few chuckles. She seemed to finally relax and her melodious laughter joined his. Jacob not only seemed to be incessantly infuriating with Evie, but with Adelaide as well.

"You'd make a damn good Assassin someday."

With that, he turned and walked through the doorway without another word. Adelaide stood motionless. An Assassin? She could never. She could never do what Evie and Jacob do. They climb buildings for heaven sake, she thought to herself. They fight in gang wars. They infiltrate enemy strongholds and steal things that don't belong to them. No. She could never be a member of the Assassins.

Taking a moment to smooth the wrinkles of her dress, she then continued forward through the train. She followed the sounds of a woman bellowing, seemingly to herself and she stopped as she approached the twins. On a bench sat a large woman dressed in simple clothes. She was talking to Evie and Jacob about having to work for Kaylock and how much she despised it.

"Pleased to me ye. I'm Agnes McBean." She introduced herself to the trio. Adelaide was the first to step forward and offer her hand. Agnes eyed the well dressed woman in front of her from head to toe.

"Well, what a pretty bit o' frill you are, dearie." She said with a chuckle.

Adelaide retracted her hand to be at her side again, taking Agnes for the complete opposite of the hand-shaking type. "Adelaide Bennett, it is a pleasure."

"A delight." Jacob beamed at Agnes with a charming smile.

"I thought I was gettin' a promotion. I suppose I'm outta work now." Agnes shrugged.

Evie then stepped forward with a welcoming gesture. "Come work for us instead."

"Awa an bile yer heid." Agnes shook her head, but was quick to ask. "You pay better than scraps?"

"I'm sure we can at least match that." Jacob grinned and Evie elbowed his side disapprovingly.

"Then let me present to you Agnes and Bertha. Lady and locomotive at yer service." She bowed as gracefully as she could manage before straightening up and gesturing behind her. "I'll be in the next car."

"A hideout on the rails! What an excellent idea." Henry announced with his arms wrapped tightly around a crate with some belongings from his shop. Some books that were precariously stacked on top of one another began to teeter and Adelaide reached to gather some of them before they fell to the ground.

"Yes, it all worked out rather well." Evie took the books from Adelaide and placed them down on a table with various maps and drawings. "Now, I would like to follow up on a lead on..."

Her voice trailer off to see Jacob standing nearby toying with the weapon that Kaylock dropped before he met his untimely end. It looked to be a pistol of some kind, but instead of firing bullets it released a grappling hook that rested in the chamber. He tested the weapon outdoors, but the grappling hook stayed in it's place and the trigger made a strange clicking sound whenever pulled.

"Jacob?" Evie's voice hadn't taken his gaze away from his new toy. "This is serious."

Her brother finally looked up and gave a shake of his head. "I'm not doing anything until the gets fixed."

Like music to Henry's ears, he came up beside Jacob. "I believe I know someone who could help with that."

The brash twin cast a knowing glance over his shoulder. "I knew you would, Greenie."

"What on earth is that?" Adelaide moved closer to Jacob and eyed the weapon in his hands.

Jacob held the gun on their level, keeping the grappling hook pointed away from them. He put his finger on the trigger. "See, you pull this here, and it releases the hook."

"And it goes...where?"

He shrugged and brought it closer to examine the prongs of the hook. "Really anywhere you'd like to go. The top of a building, the balcony of the home of a beautiful maiden whom I wish to serenade."

"You, serenading?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Perhaps you should just stick to being an Assassin."

"What a cheeky little thing you are." He threw a smirk in her direction to which she turned away to hide the blush rising in her cheeks and busied her hands with some more things that arrived with Henry. She flipped through some of the books that were there and accounted for all of her notes about the boroughs and their leaders.

"I apologize if some items are missing." Henry said as he took some books from the box he'd arrived with and placed them neatly in a row. "But I could only carry so much."

"That's alright, Henry." She replied. "Perhaps we can go back to the shop tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid that will not be possible. I had wanted to remove everything under the cover of shadows, so Starrick's men would not get word of our new hideout." He spoke.

"I shall go then. There are some important things I left there and I'd much prefer to have them with me." Adelaide placed her notes in a pile and moved to retrieve her purse.

"Adelaide it is much to dark out for you to go alone"

"Nonsense, I shall simply move within the shadows." She countered.

"I can accompany you." Evie offered with a bright smile, however her brother was quick to swoop in and protest.

"Oh no, dear sister. I shall accompany Miss Bennett." He said with a flourish. "You and Henry can tend to your _flowers_."

At her brother's implication, Evie's lips pursed to stop herself from throwing it back to him. Her eyes met Henry's before she busied herself in her notes. Adelaide raised an eyebrow at Jacob, the questions on her tongue hoping to fill the silence in the room.

* * *

"Flowers?" Adelaide asked curiously as she and Jacob walked to the Curio Shop. She'd never been out on the streets of Whitechapel this late at night. There was an eerily quiet tone to the evening which only became louder as they passed pubs, but those sounds receded as soon as their footsteps made sounds along the cobblestones.

Jacob fought the urge to hide his smirk, but Adelaide was no fool. "My lovely sister has been helping Mister Green collect flowers."

"Ah, yes." Adelaide knew of Henry's project. During his time in London, he'd been collecting different kinds of flowers and storing them inside a book. Each flower had a different meaning and Henry was eager to find them all.

"Henry asked me to offer him assistance, but to tell you the truth I know nothing of flowers." She admitted. "While they are beautiful to look at, I could hardly tell one from the other."

For the rest of their journey, they made some small talk, mainly trying to keep quiet as they moved in the darkness. Even with their win over Kaylock, the streets were still a dangerous place to be. They approached Henry's shop and Jacob looked over his shoulder to scan the street while Adelaide fumbled with the key in the lock. She pushed the door open quietly and was quick to stop the bell from ringing as they made their way inside. Despite her better judgement, Adelaide strode over to Henry's desk and struck up a match to light a candle. She held it in one hand and used her other to cover the tiny dancing flame from any prying eyes on the street. She rifled around in the desk, opening and shutting drawers as quickly and quietly as she could.

"Ah ha! Here you are." She said in an excited whisper. Jacob sauntered closer to see her stuff her copy of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ into the bag she had brought with her.

"All this for a book?" Jacob smiled at her excitement.

Adelaide straightened herself up to meet his playful gaze. "Of course. The children want to know what happens next. I will not be the one to deny them of—"

"Get down!" Jacob shouted as his arms came around her body and shoved her down to the floor. They hit the ground hard, but Adelaide didn't have much time to complain about the bruises she'd have from the floor as the windows shattered above them. Large and small bits of glass rained down and Jacob held her impossibly closer to shield her from getting cut. The Assassin had see a flash of red just outside the window behind Adelaide as she talked excitedly about her books. He could feel her body shaking like a leaf under his. Quickly, he got to his knees and pulled her to sit up behind the cover of Henry's desk.

"Are you alright?" His question was met with a shaky nod and he could see where some shards of glass decorated her hair.

"That was a close one." She panted just before the front door of the shop burst open. Two Blighters stomped over the threshold and Jacob was the first to reveal himself. He took on the larger of the pair, always one for a challenge and embedded his fist in the man's face. Not one to leave Jacob in an unfair fight, Adelaide grabbed her cane from the pocket of her gown and rushed to the other Blighter who was at Jacob's back.

The heavy side of the cane cracked his ribs and he let go of Jacob. He gave her a sharp sneer and threw a few punches her way. She quickly ducked them all, moving backwards as they fought and was able to use the cane to get a few hits in. The Blighter was quickly becoming frustrated at his inability to catch Adelaide, so he decided to change tactics. He made a quick leap forward and used his foot to step on the hem of her dress before she was able to move back. A loud rip and thud accompanied Jacob's ears as he took his eyes off his opponent for only a moment to see Adelaide's dress tear and her bottom hit the floor. He'd pay for that distraction with an elbow to the face.

A groan left her lips as she fell to the ground for the second time that night. Adelaide was just in time to block a hit from the Blighter, but his other hand tunneled into her hair. She gave a shout and tried to wrestle out of his hold but was greeted with a knee to her chest, knocking the wind out of her. He then picked her up by her hair and slammed her body against the wall with a rough shove. Adelaide struggled to get air back into her lungs as her cane lay forgotten on the ground. Her sharp nails scratched at the hand firmly holding her in place while the other made and effort to block the fist coming at her face. One of the blows managed to hit just above her eye and Adelaide let out a shout before being tossed onto the floor. In a feeble effort, she crawled to where her cane was settled in the mess of glass from the broken window, but her movements were halted when the Blighter stepped on the back of her dress again. He flipped her onto her back, cane in hand and pressed the heavy wood against her throat.

Adelaide struggled beneath the large man and tried to wriggle from his hold, but each movement she did made it even more difficult for her to breathe. Her hand flailed, searching for something, anything to use as a weapon against him. Suddenly, her hand connected with something thin and sharp. Without thinking, her hands closed harshly around it and she gave a hiss feeling the edge dig into her palm. In one last effort, she swung her now armed hand at the Blighter's neck and as soon as her weapon met his skin, he grew still atop her body. Blood bloomed from the wound in his neck and dribbled over her dainty fingers. The Blighter collapsed off her, yanking the shard of glass that was still tightly clutched in her hand from his neck. More blood squirted from the gash and Adelaide pushed herself to sit up as she backed herself into one of the bookshelves. She clutched her bloody glass weapon close to her chest as hushed breathe fell from her lips.

Jacob had just removed his blade from the torso of his final opponent when he heard a thump and saw the wobble of the bookshelf in Henry's shop. There was Adelaide in a state of shock and her gaze was glued to the Blighter she'd killed. He rushed to her to assess her for any injuries and was glad to find only some slight cuts and bruises, but she still hadn't moved when he came to her.

"Adelaide..." His voice came out like a hushed prayer, hoping to shake her, but her eyes remained on the corpse near her. His hand tightly gripped her cradled wrist and moved it away from her body as to stop her from unintentionally cutting herself. He could feel her entire body shaking and the skin on her hand was turning white from the force she was gripping the glass.

"Adelaide, let go." He whispered to her and squeezed her wrist while using his other hand to pry her clasped fingers off the shard. It clattered to the ground and he hissed lowly at the long angry slash across the palm of her hand. Jacob pressed his own palm against it in hopes of slowing the blood flow until they could get someone to stitch it up.

"I...I k-killed him...I killed h-him." The words fell from her lips, but she was unsure if they made a lick of sense as she watched the blood continue to soak into the wooden floor. Jacob closed his fingers around her shaky, bloody hand as she fought to string more words together, but they just became a mess of syllables. He had assumed when they met that she had blood on her hands from Blighters before, but seeing her in this shape proved his assumption incorrect.

"It's alright." Jacob cooed to her and wound a hand around her waist as he got to his knees. "Up you go now."

Jacob stood the both of them up and he could feel her unsteady legs knocking against his. He still held her bleeding hand tightly and he pressed her face into the fabric of his coat, so she wouldn't have to view what the shop looked like as they departed. He stepped over the dead Blighters, cautious not to step in any puddles of blood as he went and as the cold night air hit his face, he felt Adelaide's body go limp in his arms.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi all! I hope you have been doing well and staying safe. Please leave a review :)


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